Splash apron



G. E. MASSIN SPLASH APRON Filed June 24 Jul 21, 1925.

Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES GEORGES MASSIN, 0F BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

SPLASH APRON.

Application filed June 24, 1924. Serial No. 722,141.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, Gnonens EMILE MAS- SIN, a citizen of the French Republic, and resident of Brussels, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Splash Aprons, of which the following is a specification. t

The object of my present invention is to provide a mud-catcher for motor-vehicles, the primary characteristic feature of which is to follow the angular movements of the planes of the steering wheels (for instance on curves of the road). I i

In other words my improved mud-catcher remains always parallel to its wheel, at the same time being capable of being rotated by the action of an impediment on the ground engaged by the mud catcher. In order to always hold said mud-catcher parallel to its wheel, the bracket thereof is connected to the connecting rod of the steering device of the wheels, and not to the axlejournals of the wheels as heretofore in known devices. Of course the arrangement will only be applied to the front wheels of a vehicle the mud-catchers of the other wheels (generally rear wheels) being secured directly to the vehicle box or the longitudinal bar of the chassis frame.

The mud-catcher proper is further characterized in that it may be'removed instan taneously without the use of any special tool, which is a very important feature, as the suspension rod thereof extends above the wheel. On the other hand the mudcatcher with relation to the road may be adjusted in different ways, so that the device may be applied to any type of vehicle whatever be the load thereof. Another essential feature istthat the mud-catcher being more remote from the wheel than in other known arrangements, it will be possible to hold the same higher, whereby the number of shocks received by the 1nud-catcher from projections on the ground will be reduced. Other objects and advantages of the device will appear from the'following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated two forms of embodiment of my invention.

In these drawings:

I Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the front end of a motorcar to which my improved device is applied, the left hand side of the car being shown in exaggerated proportions to clearly illustrate the bracket of the mud-catcher.

Fig. is a front view of the mud-catcher proper in open position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a modification, and

Fig. 1 is a plan view of said modification.

The device comprises two essential parts: the mud-catcher proper and the bracket thereof.

The bracket is formed of a flange 1 secured by means of bolts and nuts to the side bar 2 of the chassis frame towards the outside of the car. Said flange is formed at the lower end of a rod 3connected to a vertical sleeve t,into which is fitted a rod 5 of circular cross section. Adjustably arranged on. said rod 5 by means of a set-screw 49 is a ring 6, serving to determine the length of the outer projectingportion of said rod above the sleeve I. Below said sleeve the rod 5 is provided at its end with a slot 7 engagedby the end of a lever 8 made of square cross section and pivotally connected to the rod 5 by means of. a pin 9 adapted to be adjusted in different holes 19 provided in the lever 8. At its opposite end, the lever 8 has alongitudinal slot 10 engaged by a pin 11 forming the pivot-pin of the pivotal connection between the lever 8 and a tube 12, the upper part of which is provided with a plurality of adjusting holes l t for said pin 11. Fitted into the lower part of said tube 12 is the reduced portion 15 of a double crank lever 16, which ends into a fastening collar 17 tightened around the connecting rod 18 of the steering device of the front wheel 20. The various adjustments admitted by the adjusting holes 19 and 14 are provided to enable the bracket to be applied to any desired vehicle, whatever be the position of the steering rod 18 with relation to the axis of thewheel- Of course the fastening collar 17 may also be secured on the steering lever.

In certain cases I may avoid the use of the intermediate members 8, 15, 16, 17, the mudcatcher being in direct connection with the axle-journal through the agency of any suitable driving means. 7

Above the ring 6 the rod 5 has two square holes extending transversely through the same and serving to receive the end of a rod '21 extending between the usual upper mud-catcher 22 and the tyre 23 and ending Ill into a straight vertical portion 24 located in the vertical plane passing through the axis of the wheel. Said rod 21 will be se cured in the rod 5 by means of a set-screw 25. The portion 24 of said rod is provided with a plurality of adjusting holes 26, adapted to be engaged by a pin 27 serving to secure said rod 21 in a guide 28 carried by th portion 29 of the mud-catcher proper, Said portion 29, which in the example illustrated is made of the form of a flatwooden strip or lath, is provided with a longitudinal slot 30 engaged by the pivot-pin 31 of the part Said pin or bolt will be locked by means of a Grover washer 13 and thumbnut 33-.

The position of the bolt 31 in the slot 30 and consequently the relative positions of the parts 29 and 32 will be adjusted by means of a double hook 38 fitted into one of the holes 51 of the part 29, the bolt 31 resting on said hook. This method of connecting and adjusting the parts enables the height of the part 32 to be instantaneously modified with relation to the load of the car. On ;the other hand the bolt may be adjusted with {relation to the rod :32 by means of one of the holes 52 in said rod. Consequently the height or the lower end ofthe :part 32 may be adjusted in three different ways:

1. By means of the pin 27, which is a permanent adjustment for a ,given type of car.

2. By means of the holes 52, whereby the height of the rocking axis of the part 32 may be adjusted. I

3. By means of the hook 38, whereby I obtain an instantaneous adjustment according to the load of the ear.

The rotation 0 f the th'umb 'nut 33, the tightening of which is adjusted so as'to permit the rocking 'movement of the part 32, will be prevented by a small pin extending through the bolt 31 above the said nut and both ends of which embrace the wings of said nut.

The part 32 is formed'of a fiat elongated shank attached to an apron 34, made of leather, india rubber 'or any other similar material. l he nut 33 is screwed so -as to give the :part '32 a certain easiness "of rocking movement for instance by the action of shocks, such rockingtmovement'being on the other hand checked or braked by means of a "ball 36 housed within a hollow nut 35 and urged by a spring, said ball normally engaging the shallow groove 36 provided in the part 32.

It will be seen that the arrangement described enables "the improved device to be applied immediately to any desired chassis and the height of the apron above the ground to be adjusted instantaneously by eitlier'ofthe :mea'ns described. Said apron will always remain parallel to the wheel, as it will take .part in the movements of the latter produced by the steering bar 18. The advantage of my device resides furthermore in the fact that as the apron 3a is more remote from the wheel than in other known arrangements, it will no longer be necessary to lower said apron in close proximity to the ground, whereby said apron will be less worn in use The slot 30 which enables the bolt 31 to be adjusted by the hook 38 serves also the purpose of enabling said bolt to be raised inomentarily for instance by the action of a vertical shock or a momentary jamming of the apron 34 in its end position.

In certain cases when it will be impossible to have the supporting rod 21 extending between the upper mud-catcher and the wheeltyre, the device 'as described may be slightly modified to enable the same to be applied. Thus (see Figs. 3 and l) the rod may be extended above the ring 6 to a certain distance, so that the upper square holes therein will be located somewhat higher than the upper mud-catcher. Said holes will be engaged by a rod 39 made square in cross section and extending above said mud-catcher, said rod 39 being connected at the outside of the Wheel to the rod 40 connected in turn to the ,part 29 of the splash apron. The horizontal rod 39 is made of a plurality of parts: The solid part made square in cross section ends into a tubular part 41, into which is fitted the solid .part 42; a spring 43 within the tube 41 has tendency to move the rod 42 inwardly. Furthermore the tube 41 is slit longitudinally in order to provide clearance for the small vertical rod l4 made integral with the rod 12. Said rod 4a ends into a hori'liontal :bilureation'or hook 15, .the horizontal branches of which extend :between the upper mud-catcher 22 and a guide 46 secured onto said mud-catcher by means of two small brackets 47 carried by a plate 48 screwed onto the mud-catcher. Besides this modification the device is similar to the device described with reference to Figs. 1 and '2. Of course this second form will only be used if the first 'lorm cannot be applied because the outer appearance of the car will be disturbed by said second "form owing to the greater number of outer parts. However this number ofparts maybe reduced by using a slightly yielding rod #for connecting the rod 5 to the rod lO,-said rod avoiding the use'o'f the parts 41m 48, at the same time giving "the same resiliency tothe connection.

If there are very long axle-journals, the apron 34 will be connected to the rod '24 by means of a somewhat yielding rod which is'bent towards the outside in order to extend "around the rocking end of the axlej ournal.

It will be seen that in the various embodiments described the outer parts of splash-apron may be removed instantaneously by loosening the screw 25. This is a great advantage, particularly for repairing purposes, certain known devices heretofore in use sometimes requiring half an hour for the removal and re-placing thereof.

Of course the examples described are only applicable to the steering wheels of a vehicle. For the other wheels (rear wheels) the rod 24 will be fastened directly to a stationary point either on the chassis frame or on the vehicle box (upper mud-catcher) It will be obvious that the various parts of the device as illustrated may be made of any desired or suitable material and dimensions or proportions. Again certain changes may be made in the details of construction of the examples described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a splash-apron arrangement for wheels of motor vehicles, the combination with the steering-bar of the front wheels of the vehicle, of a splash-apron, a supporting rod connected to said splash-apron and extending upwardly and above the wheel tyre, a vertical stationary sleeve fastened to a stationary part of the vehicle, a rotatable rod fitted into said vertical sleeve, means for adjustably connecting said apron supporting rod to said vertical rotatable rod, means for adjusting said rotatable rod vertically in said sleeve, and means for operatively connecting said rotatable rod to the steering bar of the front wheels, substantially as set forth.

2. In a splash-apron arrangement for wheels of motor vehicles, the combination with the steering device of the front wheels of the vehicle, of a splash-apron, a supporting rod connected to said splash-apron and extending upwardly and above the wheel-tyre, a vertical stationary sleeve at.- tached to any stationary part of the vehicle,

' a rotatable rod fitted into said vertical sleeve, means for adjustably connecting said apron supporting rod to said vertical rotatable rod, means for adjusting said rotatable rod vertically in said sleeve, a link pivotally and adjustably attached to the lower end of said rotatable rod, a vertical slotted tube pivotally and adjustably connected to the opposite end of said link, a double bellcrank lever, the upper vertical end of which telescopes into the lower end of said tube, and means for attaching the opposite end of said lever to a movable member of the steering device of the front wheels, substantially as set forth.

3. In a splash-apron arrangement for wheels of motor vehicles, the combination with the steering device of the front-wheels and the usual upper mud-catchers thereof, of a splash-apron, a supporting rod for the same, extending upwardly and above the said upper mud-catcher, a vertical stationary sleeve attached to any stationary part of the vehicle, a rotatable rod adjustably and rotatably held in said sleeve, and extending through the upper mud-catcher of the wheel, means for adjustably and yield ingly connecting the apron supporting rod to the upper end of said rotatable rod, and means for operatively connecting the lower end of the latter to said steering device, substantially as set forth.

4. In a splash-apron arrangement for wheels of motor vehicles the combination with the steering device of the front Wheels of the vehicle and the upper mud-catchers of said wheels, of a splash-apron, a springy blade attached to the same and extending upwardly and above said mud-catcher, a stationary sleeve attached to any stationary part of the vehicle, a vertical rod rotatably held in said sleeve, meansafor adjustably connecting said springy blade to the upper end of said rotatable rod extending through the upper mud-catcher, and means for operatively connecting the lower end of said rotatable rod to said steering device, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGES EMILE MASSIN. ll itnesses OBER, EMIL VANwnRsnELs. 

